Has God ever used you as the answer to someone’s prayer? Most often answers to prayer come through people who are open and available to the Lord God. It is my prayer that God will choose to use you and me—today and this week—as we pray for specific needs in Bible translation.
You and I have prayed for the church in language groups with no Scripture. We’ve asked God to bring them forward so Wycliffe Associates can train their leaders and believers to do the work of Bible translation for their own language communities. Bible translation has been started in over 1,600 languages using MAST and nearly 1,200 MAST Bible translations are in progress with 318 New Testament translations completed. I’d say that is quite an answer to prayer.
The disturbing news is that Bible translation in Indonesia and Solomon Islands has come to a standstill. In many remote areas of Indonesia, Bible translators are cut off from the internet. These national translators were making great progress—not now!
And national Bible translators in 18 language communities in Solomon Islands are unable to continue their work—their support from other outside resources—just stopped.
National Bible translators in both countries know their people are hungry for God’s Word. Their people need to hear the gospel and Jesus has the Words of eternal life. Our President of Wycliffe Associates, Dr. Bruce Smith, recently filmed a message for us as he stood along the Sea of Galilee. Let’s listen as he teaches about how the written Word of God is the object of living faith… and that people need the Bible in their own language so that they can know God’s will for their lives.
So, prayer partners, my dear friends—we need to bring these Bible translation projects to the Lord. The Lord God of the Universe is the One able and willing to meet the translation needs in both countries. The Psalmist writes that “You [our God] who answer prayer…You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds.”
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas
Psalm 65:1-2, 5 (NIV)
And together we will praise the Lord our God as we, in our praying, watch and wait for His “awesome and righteous deeds.” He who answers prayer is able, ready, and willing.
Come with me, dear ones, let’s pray that every Bible translation project started—will soon finish. Pray the enemy will be halted and not allowed influence in the lives of national Bible translators. Yes, “God our Savior is the hope of all the ends of the earth . . . and of the farthest seas.” What a promise to all our precious brothers and sisters in these island nations—God is their hope.
